In radiography, for example, X-ray imaging, a transportable electronic cassette is used instead of an X-ray film. The electronic cassette detects an X-ray image showing image information of an object through X-rays transmitted through the object. The electronic cassette contains a flat panel detector (FPD: Flat Panel Detector) capable of outputing X-ray imaging data as digital data.
The electronic cassette is attached to a stationary platform for photographing a patient in standing posture or supine posture. The electronic cassette is also used in other situations, for example, photograph of joint of elbow or knee of patient, photograph of a patient on a bed in a hospital room, who has difficulty to move to a photo studio, or photograph of the patient on a wheelchair in an emergency situation.
JP-A 2010-276687 discloses an electronic cassette of wireless type which is provided with a wireless communication section and a battery, so that a communication cable or a power cable is unnecessary, in order to improve handling of the electronic cassette. A rechargeable secondary battery is used as an internal battery.
FIG. 10 in JP-A 2010-276687 shows an electronic cassette charger. The charger is provided with a loading chamber into which the housing of the electronic cassette is insertably/removably loaded. An insertion opening of the loading chamber is formed on an upper surface of a main body of the charger and the cassette is inserted from above. In spite of no description in JP-A 2010-276687, an inside of the loading chamber is generally a rectangular shaped box and a bottom of the loading chamber is provided with a connecter electrically connected to the internal battery of the electronic cassette for supplying power to the built-in battery. When the electronic cassette is inserted from the insertion opening, the connecter of the electronic cassette and the connecter of the charger are connected to start charging.
However, rubbish or dust is easy to enter the loading chamber of the charger through the insertion opening and it is likely to accumulate on the bottom of the loading chamber. When the rubbish or dust adheres to the connecter, problem of contact failure occurs since the connecter is provided on the bottom surface.
The electronic cassette charger is a medical equipment used in medical facilities such as a hospital, so that there is a concern that fluid such as body fluid or blood or medicines, other than rubbish or dust, is entered from the insertion opening. Since the connecter is an electric component, avoiding enter of the fluid is highly required more than that of the dust or rubbish. Therefore solution for solving the above problems has been strongly desired. JP-A 2010-276687 does not disclose any indication or suggestion in relation to the above problem and its solution.